Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits India this weekend, hoping to wrap up the first overseas sale of military equipment by Tokyo in nearly four decades and open up the world\’s biggest arms market for his nation\’s defence manufacturers.
English: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Abe\’s visit to India will underline growing business and political ties between the two nations as they close ranks against mutual rival China, with the initial focus on the sale of amphibious search and rescue aircraft to India.
Japan and India are also trying to finalise an agreement on civilian nuclear energy that would open up the Indian market to Japanese players, officials said, reflecting another shift in Tokyo\’s policy on a sensitive issue. However, a Japanese official said a signing was unlikely during the visit.
Japanese officials say the proposed sale of ShinMaywa US-2i planes would not infringe Japan\’s self-imposed ban on arms exports because the aircraft to be given to India will be unarmed and can be used for civilian purposes.
Still, it will give India considerable aviation reach across the seas and could raise China\’s ire.
via In India, Abe hopes to conclude Japan’s first defence sale in 40 years | Reuters.
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